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I live just south of the border in Mx & rely on over the air broadcasts from the US and the internet for my TV (limited) watching.
Digital broadcast TV is actually higher resolution than cable these days, but I rarely watch anything except the occasional news or sports event.
I primarily rely on RSS feeds for the nightly news and bittorrents for any TV shows I can't live without.
Instead of Roku or similar I use an $80 Android TV box [^]. You can find similar on eBay or Amazon, but at a higher price.
The advantage of the Android box is that it is basically a tablet that uses your TV as the screen. You can use any Android app, Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, torrent & podcast clients, Skype, etc. You can use an app on your Android phone as a remote control or a wireless mouse/keyboard.
I use a combination of RSS feeds[^] and podcast subscriptions to automate the downloading of my selection of audio and video entertainment. Almost painless once the feeds are setup!
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I ditched cable 14 years ago & still loving it. I’ve used Hulu & Netflix forever; more recently started purchasing movies & tv on Xbox video. I’ve gotten into the habit of getting into a show on Netflix then purchasing the season on Xbox. Don’t forget about Crackle also!
Cable is dead and they know it. Providers just don’t want to give it up. The latest stupid trend is to allow streaming IF you already have a cable subscription. (checkout HBO Go)
A probable game changer is Aereo . They’re current fighting “the broadcasters” in Supreme Court. Their setup is the install antennas in all major cities, then DVR/stream whatever you ask them to. They’ve got my $$$ if they can get a setup local to me.
- great coders make code look easy
- When humans are doing things computers could be doing instead, the computers get together late at night and laugh at us. - ¿Neal Ford?
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I've never had cable just OTA channels, but when I was a child I always wanted to have cable, now that I've grown up i'm glad I never had it, and probably I never will.
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We went this route several years ago. We still use Comcast for internet because the only other option is old school DSL. I haven't done the math in a while but we cut ~$50 / month from the Comcast bill by not having cable.
The biggest minus for me has been sports. ESPN's streaming app requires you to log in with your cable account. (same for many other streaming apps. e.g. NBC's streamed olympic coverage required a cable subscription) If the game's not on a broadcast channel and I just can't miss it I wind up sneaking down to the local pub (OK so that has it's pros but I miss a lot of games). On the other hand the handful of times a year I'm in a hotel for business and I turn on ESPN it's just a bunch of talk or some non-sport like poker which reinforces the decision to live with out it.
Depending on where you live you may be able to pick up most over the air (OTA) channels.
I hooked an over the air digital antenna (paddle type) up to an existing cable outlet in an upstairs bedroom then added signal boosters between the various other outlets and the tv tuners. This means I get the same full suite of OTA channels on the computer in the basement man cave as I do on the TV in the family room on the main floor. So anything on broadcast TV is not a problem. Also most broadcast TV shows wind up on Netflix/Amazon streaming once they are a year old.
AMC shows: Either stay a season behind and stream from Netflix or buy at ~$30 per season (in SD) Amazon/iTunes and stream starting the next day.
HBO shows: You're a season behind and either need DVD rental or have to buy ~$30 per season (in SD) Amazon/iTunes (i've heard rumors that old episodes are coming to Amazon Prime)
Hulu: The free account is blocked from most set top boxes even ones running a "full-fledged" web server so to get that to your TV you need to connect a regular computer
There are apps for Hulu Plus but we don't subscribe so I can't really comment.
To wind this rambling up we have pretty much swapped out ~$600 / year to comcast for $96/ year to Netflix and another $100 to $150 per year in tv purchases & movie rentals from Amazon/iTunes so it's definitely cheaper.
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I have antenna to get the local stations. Some come in well, others, including the local TV station do not. There are TV antennas available on the internet, including Amazon, and Radio Shack. Check them out. Besides, the airwaves (in the US) are free. Just a one time charge for the antenna, you can set it up, then start watching TV.
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I yanked my Direct TV and home phone together about 2 years ago. I got tired of the HD, DVR, and additional TV fees. In the old days one cable provided signal to every TV in the house for about $39.00?. Now I only have internet service via cable. I have netTALK(VOIP) for $29/year and free call in US and Canada(Bye AT&T  ). I have a dual TV tuner card installed in my Windows 7 PC. I use the Windows Media Center to record shows with a RCA antenna I got from Walmart. 
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I am first in the door every day to look for problems and try and resolve them before the agents start.
Well, this morning I see a couple of problems no big deal, it happens, however, when I go to find why a process failed I found a BIG problem.
We are still trying to recoup three hours later.
I did prove our disaster recovery works as was designed (restored a backup from offsite).
This is what I get for being bored yesterday.
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Corporal Agarn wrote: This is what I get for being bored yesterday.
Why, what did you do yesterday in your boredom that caused the problem today?
Marc
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He did nothing. That's the point.
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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Rage wrote: He did nothing. That's the point.
Seems like somebody "got it", though I agree it was a bit tenuous. The point being, when we're bored, we usually do something that we shouldn't, like rewriting the memory allocation routines in the operating system's kernel (or something like that.)
Marc
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Marc Clifton wrote: rewriting the memory allocation routines in the operating system's kernel
I laughed out loud, literally. 
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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I do tend to try an tweak things when I am bored so the first thing that came to mind is "What did I do?". Actually it was not me, although the person the tracker says did it takes responsibility but says they do not know how it happened.
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Is that before or after you write your own version of printf?
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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NOTICE: Once you get on WinZip's emailing list you're on that thing for life.
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Oddly I haven't heard from PKzip in ages.
You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.
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Personally, I prefer WinRar. It zips the files up much tighter and gives a smaller size. Also, easier to use.
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Pretty much like getting a tribal tattoo when you are 18.
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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Though you need to be a lot more drunk than to just get the tat.
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Who on earth register to WinZip while being sober ?
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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Change your email address to a spam email account.
If you don't have a spam email account set one up on one of the free email services. That is what a spam email account is used for.
The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
I'm on-line therefore I am.
JimmyRopes
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I have a special account on my domain: "DontSendMeAnyCr*p" at MyDomain.com which has an empty itself feature: anything ariving is automatically deleted.
Guess which address I give to most companies?
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Elephant@you.com not good enough for you?
You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.
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I prefer the personal touch!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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